Top 10 Restaurants For A Pre-Theater Dinner

Looking for a place to dine before the show? Here are a list of 10 great restaurants in the Theater District that offer great food, atmospheres and staff that will make sure you get to your show on time.

The Theater District is chock-full of fantastic Italian restaurants, ready for you to come to dinner in your theater-going best. La Masseria an excellent choice for a pre-show dinner as it is for post-show apertifs. If you’re with a date, Foursquare users recommend splitting the cheesecake for dessert. For more restaurants like this one check out this list of The 15 Best Italian Restaurants In The Theater District.

Joe Allen

For a meal that is a continuation of your Broadway experience, head over to Joe Allen Restaurant on West 46th Street. A mixture of tourists, theatergoers and Broadway performers, Joe Allen is the perfect pre-theater or after-show spot. If you want to go before the show, the Broadway-knowledgeable staff will make sure you get to the theater in time for the opening number. If you can wait to eat till after the show, you may get to see some of your favorite Broadway stars hanging out after their performances let out. With walls covered with old Broadway posters, Joe Allen serves traditional American cuisine at moderate prices in a venue that makes you feel like a star.

Bond 45

This Italian eatery serves a variety of pizzas, pastas and steaks and the servers will treat you like family. Known for its distinctive cheeses, Bond 45 has an extensive lunch and dinner menu of Italian creations. With a separate pre-theater menu, this Theater District hot spot is an ideal option for dining without worrying about missing your show.

Firebird

Want to feel like royalty? Reserve a table at the Firebird Russian restaurant in Times Square. The lavish décor, regal service and divine vodkas will leave you feeling like a czar. The entire three-floor eatery is decorated with period antiques, gilded china, crystal, dramatic paintings and photographs of nobles in full regalia. Their prix-fixe menus make the experience an affordable indulgence at $29.99 for lunch (from 11:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.) and $49.99 for dinner (from 5 p.m. -11 p.m.)

Angus McIndoe

Owned by the former maitre d’ of the famous Joe Allen Restaurant, Angus McIndoe is another place to rub elbows with Great White Way celebs. Including a third floor reserved for A-listers, the restaurant is a popular place for Broadway’s best including big names like Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks and Bob and Harvey Weinstein who all financially backed the restaurant’s opening. The great service and pleasant atmosphere makes this a great place to dine before a show and their staff keeps an up-to-date schedule of show times to ensure diners will get their food and arrive to their show on time.

Osteria al Doge

Known for its authentic Venetian cuisine, Osteria al Doge offers specialty pasta, seafood and risotto dishes all served with delicious homemade focaccia bread. For theatergoers looking for a quick and satisfying bite before the show, this restaurant has a great Northern Italian environment, extensive wine list and food at moderate prizes.

Tony’s Di Napoli

With its huge, family-style portions, Tony’s Di Napoli serves traditional Italian food for those with an appetite. Platters typically serve two to three people and include creations like ravioli the size of cocktail napkins and wine glasses flowing to the brim. A family-owned restaurant, Tony’s has welcoming service that adds to the environment’s friendly Italian feel.

Pietrasanta

This cozy Italian restaurant attracts locals and theatergoers alike with its renditions of traditional northern cuisine and deviations from the norm. Pasta for many of the dishes at Pietrasanta are made in house and the atmosphere of floor-to-ceiling windows make it a great place to grab a bite and people-watch on Ninth Avenue before the show.

5 Napkin Burger

Named after its most popular menu item, 5 Napkin Burger is a neighborhood restaurant serving everything from juicy burgers to sushi rolls to spiced salmon. The Five Napkin burger is 10 ounces of ground chuck topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and a rosemary aioli spread atop a toasted roll. Piled high with all the fixings, the sandwich is often too big to eat with your hands and many use steak knifes to cut it up instead. This chic bistro is a great stop for burger lovers before a show.

5 Kellari Taverna

“Enter as Strangers, Leave as Friends” is a sign printed above the bar at Kellari Taverna and this mentality influences its menu choices, which encourage sharing with one or two others. The restaurant on 44thStreet serves traditional Greek seafood and provides a cozy feel with wood-beamed cathedral ceilings and walls painted in sunset hues. Greek for “cellar,” Kellari has an extensive wine list, with more than 250 wines by the bottle.